Event Notification Report for March 03, 2021
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
03/02/2021 - 03/03/2021
Agreement State
Event Number: 55121
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: AESCO Technologies, Inc.
Region: 4
City: Huntington Beach State: CA
County:
License #: 7197-30
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: L. Robert Greger
HQ OPS Officer: Ossy Font
Licensee: AESCO Technologies, Inc.
Region: 4
City: Huntington Beach State: CA
County:
License #: 7197-30
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: L. Robert Greger
HQ OPS Officer: Ossy Font
Notification Date: 03/03/2021
Notification Time: 20:18 [ET]
Event Date: 03/03/2021
Event Time: 04:30 [PST]
Last Update Date: 03/03/2021
Notification Time: 20:18 [ET]
Event Date: 03/03/2021
Event Time: 04:30 [PST]
Last Update Date: 03/03/2021
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
GROOM, JEREMY (R4)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION, (EMAIL)
GROOM, JEREMY (R4)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION, (EMAIL)
AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST AND FOUND GAUGE
The following is a summary of a report received from the California Department of Public Health (the Department) via email:
The Department was notified that a Troxler model 3440, Serial Number 22188 (9 mCi. Cs-137, 44 mCi. Am:Be-241) had been lost when the operator left the worksite believing the gauge was in the bed of the truck. At approximately 1430 PST, the licensee reported the gauge had been located at the work site and returned. The licensee is investigating the event and the Department will review their findings.
California Report ID: 5010-030321
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Less than Cat 3' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf
The following is a summary of a report received from the California Department of Public Health (the Department) via email:
The Department was notified that a Troxler model 3440, Serial Number 22188 (9 mCi. Cs-137, 44 mCi. Am:Be-241) had been lost when the operator left the worksite believing the gauge was in the bed of the truck. At approximately 1430 PST, the licensee reported the gauge had been located at the work site and returned. The licensee is investigating the event and the Department will review their findings.
California Report ID: 5010-030321
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Less than Cat 3' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf
Agreement State
Event Number: 55181
Rep Org: WA OFFICE OF RADIATION PROTECTION
Licensee: NSSI/Recovery Services, Inc.
Region: 4
City: Houston State: TX
County:
License #: LO2991
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Cheryl K. Rogers
HQ OPS Officer: Lloyd Desotell
Licensee: NSSI/Recovery Services, Inc.
Region: 4
City: Houston State: TX
County:
License #: LO2991
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: Cheryl K. Rogers
HQ OPS Officer: Lloyd Desotell
Notification Date: 04/08/2021
Notification Time: 12:03 [ET]
Event Date: 03/03/2021
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 04/08/2021
Notification Time: 12:03 [ET]
Event Date: 03/03/2021
Event Time: 00:00 [CST]
Last Update Date: 04/08/2021
Emergency Class: Non Emergency
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
10 CFR Section:
Agreement State
Person (Organization):
KOZAL, JASON (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION, (EMAIL)
WERKHEISER, DAVE (R1DO)
KOZAL, JASON (R4DO)
NMSS_EVENTS_NOTIFICATION, (EMAIL)
WERKHEISER, DAVE (R1DO)
EN Revision Imported Date: 5/7/2021
EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - REMOVABLE CONTAMINATION EXCEEDS LIMITS
The following was received from the State of Washington via email:
"NSSI of Houston, Texas violated 49 CFR 173.443(b) and will be suspended from further shipments. Contamination was found on shipment packages. No contamination was found outside of the conveyance. No staff were contaminated, or internal dose assigned. WA State licensee corrected the shipment to allow the conveyance to proceed. NSSI's shipping privileges may be reinstated upon submittal of a root case analysis to the department and a successful point-of-origin inspection performed by the department.
"On February 24, 2021 NSSI/Recovery Services, Inc. of Houston Texas shipped 38 drums containing liquid tritium, LSA II, Exclusive Use, closed conveyance. Twenty-one drums were destined for Perma-Fix Northwest (PFNW) in Richland Washington for processing, and the additional 17 drums were to proceed to Perma-Fix DSSI, in Kingston, Tennessee.
"The truck arrived at PFNW on March 1, 2021. PFNW received and offloaded 21 of the drums. Prior to releasing the truck to continue to DSSI, PFNW conducted surveys of the truck and trailer. On March 3, 2021 the PFNW Radiation Safety Officer notified the WA State Department of Health (Department) that tritium contamination was found inside the trailer (survey results were not provided). PFNW did not find contamination outside of the trailer. PFNW notified and surveyed the driver; no contamination was found on the driver.
"After discussions with PFNW, it was determined that PFNW would ensure that the shipment was in compliance by offloading the 17 drums in order to inspect, decontaminate and, if necessary, over-pack the 17 drums prior to putting the conveyance on the road [to Kingston, TN] . PFNW offloaded, inspected, and overpacked the 17 drums, then loaded them on a new trailer. PFNW stated that the bungs on a few on the drums required tightening. The shipment was received at DSSI in Tennessee without incident.
"The Department requested survey results. After receipt and review of the survey results, the Department determined that 6 of the drums destined for DSSI, 1 drum offloaded at PFNW, and areas of the trailer floorboards were in excess of DOT's external contamination limits, 49 CFR 173.443(b). Results ranged from 2,902 - 973,124 [disintegrations per minute per square centimeter] (dpm/cm^2) (taking in account the 10 percent wipe efficiency); the 49 CFR 173.443(b) contamination limit is 2,400 dpm/cm^2 at any time during transit of an exclusive-use shipment. The contaminated trailer is currently at PFNW where the contaminated floorboards will be removed and disposed. Bioassays of the four participating PFNW staff were performed; no PFNW staff were assigned internal dose or were contaminated.
"NSSI violated 49 CFR 173.443(b), and will be suspended from further shipments to PFNW. Suspension tracked under WMS-DOT-21-01"
Washington Incident No.: WMS-INC-21-01
EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - REMOVABLE CONTAMINATION EXCEEDS LIMITS
The following was received from the State of Washington via email:
"NSSI of Houston, Texas violated 49 CFR 173.443(b) and will be suspended from further shipments. Contamination was found on shipment packages. No contamination was found outside of the conveyance. No staff were contaminated, or internal dose assigned. WA State licensee corrected the shipment to allow the conveyance to proceed. NSSI's shipping privileges may be reinstated upon submittal of a root case analysis to the department and a successful point-of-origin inspection performed by the department.
"On February 24, 2021 NSSI/Recovery Services, Inc. of Houston Texas shipped 38 drums containing liquid tritium, LSA II, Exclusive Use, closed conveyance. Twenty-one drums were destined for Perma-Fix Northwest (PFNW) in Richland Washington for processing, and the additional 17 drums were to proceed to Perma-Fix DSSI, in Kingston, Tennessee.
"The truck arrived at PFNW on March 1, 2021. PFNW received and offloaded 21 of the drums. Prior to releasing the truck to continue to DSSI, PFNW conducted surveys of the truck and trailer. On March 3, 2021 the PFNW Radiation Safety Officer notified the WA State Department of Health (Department) that tritium contamination was found inside the trailer (survey results were not provided). PFNW did not find contamination outside of the trailer. PFNW notified and surveyed the driver; no contamination was found on the driver.
"After discussions with PFNW, it was determined that PFNW would ensure that the shipment was in compliance by offloading the 17 drums in order to inspect, decontaminate and, if necessary, over-pack the 17 drums prior to putting the conveyance on the road [to Kingston, TN] . PFNW offloaded, inspected, and overpacked the 17 drums, then loaded them on a new trailer. PFNW stated that the bungs on a few on the drums required tightening. The shipment was received at DSSI in Tennessee without incident.
"The Department requested survey results. After receipt and review of the survey results, the Department determined that 6 of the drums destined for DSSI, 1 drum offloaded at PFNW, and areas of the trailer floorboards were in excess of DOT's external contamination limits, 49 CFR 173.443(b). Results ranged from 2,902 - 973,124 [disintegrations per minute per square centimeter] (dpm/cm^2) (taking in account the 10 percent wipe efficiency); the 49 CFR 173.443(b) contamination limit is 2,400 dpm/cm^2 at any time during transit of an exclusive-use shipment. The contaminated trailer is currently at PFNW where the contaminated floorboards will be removed and disposed. Bioassays of the four participating PFNW staff were performed; no PFNW staff were assigned internal dose or were contaminated.
"NSSI violated 49 CFR 173.443(b), and will be suspended from further shipments to PFNW. Suspension tracked under WMS-DOT-21-01"
Washington Incident No.: WMS-INC-21-01